Nightmare
by Meesh
Summary: *DAI SPOILERS - super short one shot - again, DAI SPOILERS!* The demon had a biting taunt for each of those who entered the Fade, but the barb it had prepared for Vanawyn Lavellan was more personal than she expected.


**_Did you think you mattered, Hawke? Did you think anything you ever did mattered? You couldn't even save your city. How could you expect to strike down a god? Fenris is going to die, just like your family, and everyone you ever cared about._**

Vanawyn couldn't help but glance over in the mage's direction, worried. She didn't know who Fenris was, but given everything else this Nightmare Demon had said so far, she assumed it was someone very important to Hawke.

"It's only a Nightmare Demon. He's just trying to get us to stop. Don't listen to his lies!" Green eyes flashed with quiet determination as Hawke started up the hill. Vanawyn squared her shoulders and followed after the Champion, grateful for her levelheadedness in the face of such violent threats.

She had spent much of her life wandering the Fade, learning what she could. Keeper Istimaethoriel taught her much of magic, but encouraged excursions through the Fade. A Keeper needed to be above temptation, and if a First couldn't spend more than a few hours in the Fade without becoming an abomination, he or she was not worthy. Vanawyn had learned to love her time in the dreamy world.

Not at this moment, though. Unease crawled all over her skin like tiny insects, doubt constantly pressing against her consciousness. She could feel the Nightmare demon trying to drag her down into madness. The hair along her arms rose as she steeled herself against whatever was inevitably over the hill in front of them.

**_Did you really think a templar could ever love a mage?_**

Blue-purple eyes widened in shock, Vanawyn's heart suddenly stopping in her chest. The only other mage here was Hawke, and she already resisted... Oh, this Fenris must be a templar. Vanawyn blinked and kept putting one foot in front of the other.

A rock came loose beneath her boot as she stepped, the elf going down in a distracted crumple.

"Hey! You alright, Flower?" Varric's voice echoed in the emptiness of the Fade, and his new nickname for her couldn't help but lift her spirits a little. Her short friend jogged over and gave her an elbow to help her stand back up.

She flashed him a tight smile and took his help, balancing on one knee as she moved to stand. "I'll be alright, Varric. Thank-"

_**He couldn't love a Circle mage, much less a heathen Dalish apostate! Cullen will never see you as anything other than a danger.**_

The voice, dripping with confidence and hatred, tore through any and all thoughts as images flashed through her mind: Cullen, shunning her when they got back; him taking the lyrium again; the two of them arguing over it; him locking her in Skyhold's tower. No. No, that couldn't happen...

Vanawyn was yanked from the darkness by a hand tugging on her shoulder. She blinked away tears and focused on Cole. He looked...panicked.

"It lies. Do not give in to despair, please! You can't!"

The young spirit's surprisingly strong arm helped pull her to standing, Cole's voice suddenly switching to the creepy sing-song tone he had when digging into someone else's mind. "No... She's going to sacrifice herself for us. Beautiful. Strong. Jaw clenched, determination in her eyes. Eyes that are blue, but have purple, why do they have purple, why is she so pretty? She can't die, she has to find a way to make it. I haven't told her..."

Hearing Cullen's thoughts in such a raw state, from someone who definitely wasn't him, made her a little uncomfortable. This isn't how she should learn something like this; it felt intrusive.

"I...think she gets it, kid." Varric's voice mercifully cut Cole off.

"It lies. If we kill it, we will help people. It will stop hurting people. Come on. Please." He continued to pull on her sleeve.

The demon clearly was unnerving him more than even her.

"Is everything alright down there?" Hawke's soft voice carried itself down the hill. Vanawyn looked up to see everyone else watching the three with concern. Heat immediately blazed across her face.

How long had they been there?

She cleared her throat. "Yes, sorry! Tripped and needed to make sure my ankle was okay!"

"You're a terrible liar."

"Shut up, Varric."

His laughter rang behind her as she ran to catch up with the rest of the group.


End file.
